Job 31

King James Version

Full text for Job Chapter 31

1¶ I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

2For what portion of God [is there] from above? and [what] inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

3[Is] not destruction to the wicked? and a strange [punishment] to the workers of iniquity?

4Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

5If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;

6Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

7If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;

8[Then] let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

9¶ If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or [if] I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;

10[Then] let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.

11For this [is] an heinous crime; yea, it [is] an iniquity [to be punished by] the judges.

12For it [is] a fire [that] consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

13If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

14What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

15Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

16¶ If I have withheld the poor from [their] desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

18(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as [with] a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)

19If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

20If his loins have not blessed me, and [if] he were [not] warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

21If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

22[Then] let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

23For destruction [from] God [was] a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

24¶ If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, [Thou art] my confidence;

25If I rejoiced because my wealth [was] great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

26If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking [in] brightness;

27And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:

28This also [were] an iniquity [to be punished by] the judge: for I should have denied the God [that is] above.

29If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:

30Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

31If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.

32The stranger did not lodge in the street: [but] I opened my doors to the traveller.

33¶ If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:

34Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, [and] went not out of the door?

35Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire [is, that] the Almighty would answer me, and [that] mine adversary had written a book.

36Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, [and] bind it [as] a crown to me.

37I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.

38If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;

39If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

40Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Job 31 presents Job's final, extensive oath of integrity before God and his friends. He meticulously lists various sins he has abstained from, including lust, injustice towards servants, lack of charity, idolatry, and malice towards enemies. Job asserts his blameless conduct, invoking severe self-curses if he has committed any of these transgressions. He concludes by expressing a fervent desire for God to answer his plea and acknowledge his righteousness.

Medium Summary

In Job 31, Job delivers his most comprehensive declaration of innocence, systematically refuting implied accusations of sin. He begins by affirming a covenant with his eyes against lust and adultery, emphasizing the severe consequences of such moral failures. Job then asserts his just treatment of servants, recognizing their shared creation by God, and highlights his consistent compassion for the poor, widows, and orphans, providing for their needs. He further denies placing his trust in wealth or engaging in astral idolatry, understanding these as denials of God. Job also maintains he never rejoiced at his enemies' misfortune nor hid his transgressions. He concludes with a fervent appeal for the Almighty to answer him, confident in his integrity regarding all aspects of his life, including his land.

Long Summary

Job 31 serves as Job's climactic defense, an elaborate oath of purgation where he meticulously enumerates the sins he has not committed, inviting divine retribution if he speaks falsely. He first details his commitment to personal purity, having made a covenant with his eyes to avoid lust and refraining from adultery, recognizing such acts as heinous crimes deserving judicial punishment. Job then affirms his equitable treatment of his manservants and maidservants, acknowledging that God, their common creator, observes all actions. He passionately describes his extensive acts of charity, ensuring the poor, widows, and fatherless were clothed, fed, and cared for from his youth, fearing God's destruction if he had withheld aid. Furthermore, Job vehemently denies placing his hope in gold or worshipping celestial bodies like the sun or moon, understanding such acts as denying the God above. He asserts he never rejoiced at the downfall of his enemies nor wished them ill, and always extended hospitality to strangers. Job also denies hiding his transgressions like Adam or fearing human judgment more than divine. He concludes with a powerful plea for God to answer him, expressing a readiness to present his case openly, even desiring his adversary's charges in writing. Finally, he invokes a curse upon his land if he has unjustly acquired its fruits or caused harm to its owners, signifying the end of his words.

Core Concepts

  • Personal IntegrityJob presents an exhaustive oath of integrity, asserting his blameless conduct across various aspects of life, from personal purity to social justice, in an attempt to prove his righteousness before God.
  • Covenant with EyesJob declares he made a personal covenant with his eyes, vowing not to gaze upon a maid with lustful intent, thereby demonstrating his commitment to inner and outer purity.
  • Social Justice and CharityJob passionately defends his record of compassion, detailing how he provided for the poor, widows, and fatherless, ensuring they were clothed and fed, and treated his servants justly.
  • Rejection of Idolatry and MaterialismJob explicitly states he did not place his hope in gold or fine wealth, nor did he worship the sun or moon, recognizing such acts as a denial of the God above.
  • Desire for Divine VindicationJob expresses a fervent longing for the Almighty to answer him, offering to present his case openly and wear any charges from his adversary as a crown, confident in his innocence.
  • Self-ImprecationThroughout his defense, Job repeatedly invokes severe curses upon himself and his possessions should any of his claims of innocence prove false, underscoring his conviction.
  • Fear of GodJob attributes his righteous conduct and avoidance of sin to his profound fear of God's destruction and his inability to endure the Almighty's highness and judgment.